This invention relates to a machine for forming large cylindrical bales of crop material, commonly called round bales, in a roll forming region above the ground. More specifically, it is concerned with apparatus which permits the completed bale to be discharged from the roll forming region onto the ground by the automatic reversing of the bale forming means or upper apron.
Historically, it has been the custom to harvest forage crops by mowing the particular crop, letting it dry in the field, forming the dried crop material into windrows and passing a hay-baling machine over and along these windrows to form the crop material into rectangular bales. Recent practice has shown that the formation of crop material into large compact rolls, rather than rectangular bales as formerly done, permits the crop material to be deposited in roll form and left in fields for extended periods of time. The ability to leave these rolled bales in fields obviates the additional steps required in the traditional rectangular baling process of gathering the bales and transporting them to a storage area protected from the elements. This new technique of forming large round bales has created a baling systen that can be conducted by one person. This is in marked contrast to the traditional practice of forming rectangular bales where the labor of several people was required to effect the cutting, drying, windrowing, baling, gathering and storing of the crop material.
Several methods of forming compact cylindrical rolls of crop material have evolved through the years. The most successful of these methods involves the forming of crop rolls by picking up a swath or windrow of material from the field and directing it onto a lower conveyor. This conveyor transports the material to a roll or bale forming region where an upper apron or flight of belts, usually positioned above and adjacent the conveyor, moves in a suitable direction to rotate the crop material with which it is brought into contact. The increasing popularity of these crop roll forming machines has seen their use broaden from rolling wintering forage for livestock to rolling high protein crops, such as alfalfa, for dairy livestock. Therefore, these machines are the focal point of many ideas for developing both labor-saving and time-saving apparatus.
Crop roll forming machines that produce large cylindrical crop rolls utilize some form of a tailgate which is pivotally mounted to the frame of the machine. The tailgate is elevated upon completion of the crop roll or when it is desired to discharge a less than full size bale for any of a variety of reasons from the roll forming region. The tailgate follows a predetermined arc of travel, generally pivoting about a fixed point on the frame.
Prior crop roll forming machines require the operator, who is located in the operator's area of a prime moving vehicle, such as a tractor, to perform a series of manual operations after completing the formation of the large crop roll and prior to recommencing the roll forming process or cycle. Generally these manual steps require the stopping of the roll forming machine and the towing tractor, the initiation of the wrapping of the completed crop roll, stopping the power takeoff shaft from the tractor, opening the tailgate, restarting the power takeoff shaft to power the roll forming machine's components to assist in discharging the bale, closing the tailgate and finally, restarting the forward motion of the tractor and the roll forming machine. Recently developed crop roll forming machines have reduced the number of manual steps which the machine operator must perform after the completion of the formation of each bale.
These recently developed crop roll forming machines generally discharge the completed crop material package from the roll forming region by pivoting the tailgate rearwardly and upwardly, thereby permitting the upper bale forming means to automatically cease rotation in a first direction and commence rotation in an opposing second direction. This automatic reversal of the upper bale forming means simultaneously occurs with the declutching of the lower bale forming means or conveyor. A completed crop roll thus is urged rearwardly out of the machine onto the ground with the operator being required only to stop the towing tractor, initiate the wrapping of the roll and opening and then closing the tailgate. Under certain conditions, such as when the supply of crop material to be baled has been exhausted or when the core of the roll has broken down, it is necessary to eject a partially formed roll of relatively small diameter. Usually the mere reversing of the upper bale forming means will not effect the ejection of the crop roll under these conditions since the partially formed bale or core of crop material presents too little surface area for engagement with the upper bale forming means and occupies too little of the bale forming region. Any rolling motion imparted to the core or partially formed bale will be insufficient to propel the bale out of the bale forming region and onto the ground. It then becomes necessary to impart a more positive ejection force to the core.
The foregoing problems are solved in the design of the machine comprising the present machine by providing drive means for discharging the completed crop roll automatically with the raising motion of the tailgate. The drive means is provided with a selectively actuatable control means to permit the roll forming machine operator to override the automatic reversing of the upper bale forming means and prevent the declutching of the lower bale forming means, thereby causing the lower bale forming means to continue to move rearwardly to convey a partially formed crop roll rearwardly out of the bale forming region and onto the ground at the rear of the machine.